Blackout Alley
Blackout Alley — an illustrated comics story. 20 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Comics.
Page 1
A meteor shower blazed across the sky, painting the darkness with streaks of emerald and gold. Beneath this celestial firework, a carnival flickered to life—'Blackout Alley', a fleeting spectacle that appeared only when the heavens wept stardust. Shadowy figures drifted through the midway, their faces obscured by the dim, eerie glow of otherworldly lanterns. Whispers carried on the wind hinted at secrets and strange bargains within this nocturnal bazaar.
Page 2
Roxanne, a young woman with eyes that mirrored the night sky, stepped into the carnival's swirling chaos. Her dark coat swirled around her, concealing a purpose as sharp as the throwing knives glinting in the freak show tent. She was searching for something—or someone—lost within the labyrinthine alleys of Blackout Alley. Tonight, Roxanne would find answers, or be swallowed whole by the carnival's mysteries.
Page 3
"Lost, little sparrow?" a raspy voice croaked from the shadows. Madame Evangeline, the carnival's fortune teller, emerged, her face a roadmap of wrinkles etched by secrets and starlight. "Blackout Alley takes what it wants, and rarely gives back." Roxanne met her gaze, unafraid. "I'm here to collect a debt."
Page 4
Suddenly, the ground trembled. The meteor shower intensified, casting the carnival in an unearthly glow. A monstrous carousel, hidden until now, rose from the depths of the earth, its horses carved from obsidian and nightmare. This was more than just a carnival; it was a gateway, a nexus of cosmic forces, and Roxanne was caught in its pull.
Page 5
Roxanne gasped, stumbling back as the obsidian horses locked their glowing red eyes on her. What is this place? she wondered, her heart pounding. A chilling laugh echoed from the carousel's center. The shadows themselves seemed to coalesce, forming a figure of pure darkness.
Page 6
"Welcome, Roxanne," the shadow figure boomed, his voice a symphony of whispers. "I am the Night Weaver, and this is my domain." Roxanne rose to her feet, her fear hardening into resolve. "You took someone from me. Give him back."
Page 7
The Night Weaver laughed, a sound that scraped against Roxanne's soul. "He chose to stay. Blackout Alley offers what the world cannot." He gestured around the carnival. "Power, secrets, desires fulfilled..."
Page 8
Roxanne charged, her dagger a silver streak in the night. But the Night Weaver was untouchable, a being of pure shadow. He deflected her attacks with ease, his laughter echoing through the carnival. She knew she needed something more, something the Night Weaver didn't expect.
Page 9
Roxanne remembered what old Silas, the tinker, had told her before she entered Blackout Alley: that the meteor dust contained concentrated starlight, capable of piercing shadows. She quickly rummaged into her coat and pulled out a small glass bottle filled with the grey sparkling dust. "Time to light you up!"
Page 10
Roxanne hurled the meteor dust into the air. It exploded in a blinding flash of starlight, searing the Night Weaver's shadowy form. He screamed, a sound of pure agony, as his darkness began to dissipate. Roxanne pressed her advantage, moving closer.
Page 11
As the Night Weaver weakened, a figure stumbled out of the shadows—a young man, gaunt and pale, but alive. "Daniel!" Roxanne cried, rushing towards him. He was here, but the Night Weaver still had power. "He belongs to Blackout Alley now!" the Night Weaver rasped.
Page 12
"Not if I can help it," Roxanne spat, drawing her dagger once more. She circled the Night Weaver and Daniel. She remembered something she read in an ancient book in Silas's workshop, that to truly banish shadows, one must face their own darkness. What was her darkness?
Page 13
Then it hit her—her past, her failures, the guilt she carried. Roxanne closed her eyes, embracing the pain. When she opened them, they blazed with newfound strength. She understood: her darkness was her power. The silver meteor dust on her knife turned bright.
Page 14
With a cry, Roxanne plunged her dagger into the ground. The carnival shuddered, its illusions shattered. The obsidian carousel crumbled to dust. The Night Weaver shrieked as he was consumed by light. Daniel stood beside Roxanne, free from the shadow's grasp.
Page 15
As the meteor shower faded, Blackout Alley vanished, leaving behind only an empty field. Roxanne looked at Daniel, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "It's over," she said softly. "You're free now."
Page 16
"I don't know how to thank you," Daniel said, his voice still raspy. "You risked everything for me." Roxanne shrugged. "You once told me, Daniel, that 'the only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive,' just as John Green, the author, said in one of his books. I forgave myself, and that was enough."
Page 17
They began walking away from the field, towards the rising sun. Roxanne knew that Blackout Alley would return with the next meteor shower, and with it, new mysteries and new dangers. But she was ready. She had faced her darkness, and she had won.
Page 18
But even as they walked away, a faint, green light flickered in the distance. Deeper within the woods, a new tent had appeared, glowing eerily beneath the morning sky. The sign above the tent read: "The Curator's Collection."
Page 19
Roxanne paused, sensing the darkness returning. She tightened her grip on Daniel's hand, her eyes narrowed. She knew that her fight was far from over. Blackout Alley always calls for another round... Roxanne was ready.
Page 20
The carnival tent, usually a beacon of vibrant chaos, glowed ominously beneath the bright morning sky. The air around the tent was subtly eerie, contrasting with the morning light. Roxanne felt a tremor of unease. “He’s here,” she whispered, her hand instinctively going to the vial of meteor dust. Daniel shivered beside her. The Alley always had one last trick.
About this story
- Audience: general readers
Questions and answers
Read Wonder Comics on your phone
Wonder Comics is available on Android. Get Wonder Comics on Google Play.